Archive for Don Hauptman

The Game of the Name
by Don Hauptman (11/08/2008)

Did you ever stop to think about the many words you encounter and use that are derived from the names of real people?

These Expressions Get No Respect Here
by Don Hauptman (11/01/2008)

Although “respect” implies emphasis on a detail or particular, the two locutions are so similar as to be equivalent. Both mean “in reference to.” One may also say “with respect to” or “with regard to” or “in regard to.” Avoid these locutions in the plural form - e.g., “as regards” and “in regards to,” which are mistakes.

Another Round of Confusables
by Don Hauptman (10/25/2008)

As a lifelong blooper spotter and collector, I’m accustomed to encountering the most bizarre and amusing language gaffes and manglings. But even I was taken aback recently when I saw a sign taped to the cash register of one of my favorite neighborhood cafes: "We respectfully ask for a collaborating ID when paying by credit card." The correct word, of course, should have been "corroborating."

Who, Me?
by Don Hauptman (10/18/2008)

One of the most frequent misuses is “who” for “whom.” Many people are unable to get it right in everyday speech. But the error is also unforgivably common in major publications that have copy editors and proofreaders on staff.

The Language Perfectionist: Is Elegant Variation Bad?
by Don Hauptman (10/11/2008)

H.W. Fowler (1858-1933), a legendary language expert, cautioned against what he called - not approvingly - “elegant variation.” He scolded writers who strain for a different word just to avoid repetition. A classic example: following “He said” with “He stated,” “He averred,” and so on.

Can You Recession-Proof Your Income?
by Don Hauptman (10/08/2008)

It’s scary. Today’s financial crisis threatens the livelihood of almost everyone - whether you have a full-time job, are self-employed, or own a business.

The Language Perfectionist: Is This Word Always Unnecessary?
by Don Hauptman (10/04/2008)

Recently, I read an article advising writers to eliminate the word “that” from their work. The word is unnecessary, the article said, and getting rid of it makes your sentences read faster and sound punchier.

I Now Pronounce You…
by Don Hauptman (09/27/2008)

Critique the Work of Others - and Get Paid for It!
by Don Hauptman (09/23/2008)

Whatever your specialty or area of expertise, you may have overlooked an opportunity: critiquing the work of others for money...

What’s Your Preposition?
by Don Hauptman (09/20/2008)

“I appreciate how Early to Rise expands my vocabulary and answers grammar questions. I heard recently that it is not proper to end a sentence with a preposition. For example, ‘Please let me know if there is anything else you need help with’ or ‘This is what I was thinking of.’”

The Language Perfectionist: The Wizard of Was
by Don Hauptman (09/13/2008)

You may occasionally encounter, or write, a sentence in which it’s open to debate whether the situation described is real or hypothetical, and thus whether “was” or “were” is the right choice. But such cases are rare. Most of the time, the correct word is obvious....

Can You Create Another Income Stream as a Consultant?
by Don Hauptman (09/09/2008)

If you possess valuable knowledge and experience, you might be able to share it - and get paid for it - as a consultant. This could be a lucrative sideline to your current business or career. Consultants are well compensated - as much as hundreds of dollars per hour.

The Language Perfectionist: People Who Need People
by Don Hauptman (09/06/2008)

Some language issues don’t lend themselves to a judgment of right or wrong, but rather are matters of style or rhetoric. Haven’t you encountered words and expressions that, though grammatically correct, strike you as awkward or grating?

The Language Perfectionist: Is This Usage Brilliant or Dim?
by Don Hauptman (08/30/2008)

Last year, a kerfuffle erupted over Sen. Joseph Biden’s presumably well-intentioned characterization of Sen. Barack Obama, against whom he was then competing for the Democratic presidential nomination. (Well, he did win the consolation prize a week ago.)

The Language Perfectionist: Figures of Speech That Figure in Speech
by Don Hauptman (08/23/2008)

A star-studded film scheduled to open later this year is called Synecdoche, New York. The title is a pun on Schenectady. But what’s synecdoche? Pronounced “sih-NECK-duh-kee,” it’s a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. Examples: Workers described as “hands” (part for whole). “The U.S. Army announced…” (whole for part).

The Language Perfectionist: This Tip Isn’t Arguable
by Don Hauptman (08/16/2008)

The word arguably is routinely misused and overused. But the usage and style guides I consulted don’t say much about it. More than 20 years ago, language guru William Safire devoted a column to the word, but he didn’t disapprove of its use, which even then some of his readers described as a “craze.”

The Language Perfectionist: Quotable Metaphors
by Don Hauptman (08/09/2008)

An incisive quotation can often make your writing or speaking more effective.

The Language Perfectionist: A Potpourri of Problematic Words
by Don Hauptman (08/02/2008)

Here's a roundup of common misuses that have been accumulating in my files

The Language Perfectionist: Will You Be Very Pleased to Learn This?
by Don Hauptman (07/26/2008)

It's an old rule, but one that's still commonly violated: Minimize, or avoid entirely, the use of very. The word is usually a sign of lazy, careless writing.

The Language Perfectionist: Use These Words Effectively
by Don Hauptman (07/19/2008)

In a major business publication, I found this sentence: "Is the slowing economy effecting how businesses conduct marketing?"

The Language Perfectionist: Tortuous, Torturous, Tortious
by Don Hauptman (07/12/2008)

Recently, I read an article in The New York Times about a law firm that sent a warning letter to the media about its client, an overexposed Hollywood celebrity. The report quoted the firm's accusation of "tortuous impersonation."

The Language Perfectionist: Fragmentation Grenades
by Don Hauptman (07/05/2008)

Our grade-school teachers instructed us to write complete sentences - "complete" meaning that every sentence is supposed to contain a subject and a predicate. They admonished us to avoid incomplete sentences or "sentence fragments,".

The Language Perfectionist: Reject Redundancies
by Don Hauptman (06/28/2008)

A common type of misuse is redundancy, also known as tautology or pleonasm. Here are some examples, drawn from print and online sources:

The Language Perfectionist: More Confusables
by Don Hauptman (06/21/2008)

Here's another roundup of look-alike and sound-alike words I frequently see confused:

The Language Perfectionist: Don’t Mix Your Metaphors
by Don Hauptman (06/14/2008)

A mixed metaphor is a combination of figures of speech that creates an incongruous or absurd image. The results are often amusing, although the humor is usually unintentional.

The Language Perfectionist: How Bad Can Spelling “Bee”?
by Don Hauptman (06/07/2008)

Certain words are consistently misspelled. Here are four examples I found in major newspapers, whose editors should know better:

The Language Perfectionist: A Failure to Communicate?
by Don Hauptman (05/31/2008)

Some people express skepticism about "proper English" and the legitimacy of any language rules. An objection I often hear is: "What does it matter as long as the other person understands what you mean?"

The Language Perfectionist: Same Difference?
by Don Hauptman (05/24/2008)

A frequent language question concerns the use of different from and different than. When do you use one or the other, and why?

The Language Perfectionist: Will Today’s Subject Soon Transpire?
by Don Hauptman (05/17/2008)

The use of transpire as a synonym for occur or happen has become common. But the word properly refers to something that gradually becomes known, or to a secret that is revealed.

The Language Perfectionist: Avoid Adverbial Awkwardness
by Don Hauptman (05/10/2008)

The use of famously in this sense is not only incorrect but trendy and pretentious. Linguists call such usages "vogue words."
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